News Broadcasting
Fifa signs deal for official World Cup melody
MUMBAI: Music publisher and online publishing administrator Kobalt Music Group has been signed up by footballs’ governing body Fifa to be the exclusive worldwide licensor and administrator for the Official Melody of the 2006 Fifa World Cup.
Written by Nadir Khayat aka Red One and Bilal Hajji, the 30-second melody, a sample from the Red One song Bamboo will also be incorporated into several other songs.
These include the official single of the event and other pieces of music to be used extensively throughout the championships, including the song Hips Don’t Lie – Bamboo which has been performed by Shakira.
In addition, dance, hip-hop, house and Bamboo mixes will also be sold as ringtones. Kobalt founder and CEO Willard Ahdritz says, “Kobalt is exploiting the content on a global basis through digital distribution partners on five continents. With an audience of more than a billion people and extensive promotion, the potential exposure and consumer base for the Official Melody is extraordinary.
“We are thrilled to be the administrator for Fifa to market, license and collect for both the publishing and master rights in what could be the biggest digital event ever.”
The World Cup takes place from 9 June-9 July in Germany. The Official Melody of the event will receive extensive exposure during all World Cup events, including cross-promotion and in sponsor ad spots from such advertisers as Adidas, Avaya, Budweiser, Coke, Continental, Deutsche Telekom, Emirates, Fujifilm, Gillette, Hyundai, Mastercard, McDonald’s, Phillips, Toshiba and Yahoo.
Through the deal, Kobalt is working with Fifa’s concept developer, Engine AB an MTG company, which is Fifa’s exclusive agent for the creation and supervision of the overall music program for the 2006 Fifa World Cup.
Kobalt is a global, independent music publisher offering administrative and creative services to writers, publishers and other publishing rights holders. Kobalt’s technology enables clients to receive faster delivery of revenues and information in a transparent and efficient manner.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
